I have a friend who moved to Arkansas – from Denver – where I am from. She moved here 5 years ago and she is now convinced that it was by “alien abduction”. She says, “This place puts you through this brutal initiation…which seems to go on for quite awhile.” I see that it has worn her down, chewed her up and spit her out. I feel her pain; yet since I have come behind her, I am still filled with optimism. She; however, seems to have sunk to an all time low. We each came here for similar reasons. She had wished to come to a place where she could do the most good. I had simply asked Spirit to, “Use me. Guide me to where my talents and abilities will be recognized and appreciated. Take me to where I can be surrounded by those of like mind.”
Spirit works in mysterious ways. And, it is still a mystery. I have connected not only with the previously mentioned friend, but with several other women, as well. I feel that my life has been enriched immeasurably by the new friends that I have made. I also feel that we need each other. I know that I am helping them as much as they are helping me, in so many different ways. My new women friends range in age from 18, to around my own age (approaching 70). For the first time in my life, I feel truly valued and respected. Knowing that I can contribute to them in a meaningful way because of the pain that I have experienced – and grown from – in my own life, fills me with peace.
My relationships with my own daughters have grown more precious now, as they are approaching mid-life. I am reminded of the bond we had when they were nursing infants, or toddlers peeking out from behind the safety of my skirt. They are now as butterflies emerging from the chrysalis. Perhaps they themselves do not see how beautifully their souls have been transformed.
I know not what still remains for me to do. It may or may not be all that I hope for; but I am at peace with what is. Whether it was alien abduction, divine intervention, or answered prayers, I know that I am where I am supposed to be. We have converged together in this place to lift and to hold one another up, no matter how challenging or how difficult the initiation. Deep down, I know that even in the darkest moments, the path ahead of me is bathed in light. I am grateful for my new friends – and I am grateful to be a friend.
